Can't Be Alone
by Skylark Evanson
Summary: Then it was a horrified scream and the raven-haired boy was automatically bolted upright, forehead laced with a cold sweat and a sharp dagger of ice driving right into his heart as he watched the scene unfold again as he had seen it so many times before.


**A/N: Totally over-dramatized, I know, but this popped into my head and was just begging to be written. Of course, it hit me at like eleven o' clock at night and I was writing until at least one until I fell asleep and nearly deleted the whole thing, but still, I GOT IT DONE! Totally rockin' right there. Anyways, hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Young Justice in any way. Not slash.**

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_Can't Be Alone_

Wally had been sitting and playing video games for almost three hours now, his fingers flying across the controller to hit the buttons and slaughter anyone he went up against. He was ready for anything. He had already finished off seven hundred and thirty-eight robots and was about to have three more done for when he heard a small, scared voice.

At first, he ignored it. At first it was just a slight annoyance; it delayed his focus on the game for a moment, causing him to lose two health points after one of the robots speared him with a lance, but Wally didn't mind too much. He had already beaten the console's high score twice for the day.

The came the short cry again, sounding more like a whimper of a puppy who had just been brutally kicked in the chest and was sent sprawling across the floor only to hit a wall; it was pitiful. But Kid Flash was still able to ignore it. It was just a noise and he had robots to drop kick into oblivion. He didn't have time to deal with weird noises. Superboy and Megan could deal with it.

He had smashed another robot to tiny bits of fragmented metal when he finally decided to take note of where the sound was coming from. The ginger looked over one shoulder to the part of the couch that his best friend was curled up on.

Robin had been asleep for at least two hours. At least. He had taken an especially hard kick to the ribs and had been deemed unable to go on a mission for a few days. That was added onto the minor concussion he had suffered from hitting the concrete after being thrown out of a second story window, his skull slamming into the sidewalk harder than Wally believed any normal person could survive. But he knew Robin had a hard head.

The young boy was now curled up on the couch with his knees tucked to his chest as tightly as they could be tucked without being in too much pain. His face behind the dark sunglasses was twisted up into a wincing grimace. The speedster could see one of his friend's hands was in a talon-like position and the young boy's nails were digging into his skin that was as pale as a ghost.

Wally had paused his game and was quietly watching his best friend for a few moments, taking in all those minute details with his inspecting green eyes. Then, figuring Robin was alright, Wally set the game back to play and immediately slashed the heads off of two more robots, bringing up his score even higher than it was a moment ago. The speedster wasn't worried about the Boy Wonder in the slightest. He knew Robin was a strong guy for being so young. Whatever was happening in his dreams, he could deal with. If he survived being mentored by Batman, he could probably survive anything. Or at least that was how Flash's nephew saw it.

A few more whimpers slipped from Robin's lips. His nails were dug deeper into his pallor skin whenever Wally looked over again just to be sure that he wasn't actually hurt or anything. The speedster felt a twinge of worry touch his heart. Maybe something was wrong with him... But he didn't want to wake him up... He was sleeping so well and Wally knew he needed his rest... Kid Flash once again dismissed the thought of rousing his friend from such a deep sleep. He didn't want to disturb his best friend. The kid needed his sleep. They already didn't get nearly enough sleep; none of the team really did.

Then it was a horrified scream and the raven-haired boy was automatically bolted upright, forehead laced with a cold sweat and a sharp dagger of ice driving right into his heart as he watched the scene unfold again as he had seen it so many times before. Robin could feel his heart pounding in his chest as fast as Flash could vibrate his molecules to move through walls. His deep blue eyes were widened in fear behind the black sunglasses that hid them from his teammates and the rest of the world. The loss was as raw in his chest as if it had just happened yesterday.

That was when Wally finally dropped the controller altogether, the thing falling to the ground and the toggles rattling. He wasn't sure whether he dropped it because he was worried for his terrified friend or whether it was because he had been frightened by the shriek. He didn't even pause the game, robots immediately slaughtering his avatar without the slightest bit of mercy. "Rob, what's wrong?" asked Kid Flash in a breathless voice; he almost sounded as if he had run a couple hundred miles without a supply of food on his wrist. He figured it was out of the sheer surprise of having his friend scream without warning.

The Boy Wonder didn't answer. His chest just kept on heaving as he drank in the mountain's stale air that was swelling everywhere around him. His eyes were trying to drink in his surroundings; Robin usually woke up under a different persona to this screaming and terror. A panic was gripping his chest with the claws of a lion. Where was Bruce? Why was it so dark? His sapphire orbs found Wally. The young boy groped for words, only to find none suitable enough to explain what he needed. He could hardly breathe, let alone form a sentence. Robin had no idea where he was. He was still trying to put together what was going on around him at the moment. And why was it so dark?

Wally reached out a hand to touch his best friend to show him that this was the material reality instead of another fabricated nightmare when Megan came in, Superboy only a few seconds behind the floating girl. "What happened?" she asked, voice high with panic as soon as she saw her teammate looking so ill. She'd seen him hurt before, but now he looked like he was about to faint.

"Shhh," murmured Wally quietly, the shushing directed at Megan. He had seen enough documentaries on nightmares with his uncle. Kid Flash had always loved learning, but he liked it at a faster pace than school could provide for him. He had to be gentle with Robin. It was like trying to take food from a dog: taking the wrong approach means you lose a finger. His shaking hand found his best friend's shoulder-

Batman's protégé automatically smacked the ginger's hand away like it was some sort of contagious disease. Then he pulled himself away, tucking himself against the couch so that the cushions were driving right into his sides and back almost painfully. He didn't know where he was, what was going on... Why wasn't he in his bedroom? Where was Bruce? Where was Bruce?

"Rob, it's us," said the redhead as he tried to ignore the stinging of fire in his hand where his best friend had slapped him. "We're in Mount Justice. It's me, KF." He tried to keep his tone calm and soft; Wally didn't want to set off the time bomb that was the Boy Wonder.

At least that answered a few of his questions. Robin shivered violently before opening his mouth, now able to form words and put them into understandable sentences. "Where's- Where's-" He had to remember who he was talking to before adding on, "Batman?" The raven-haired teen had almost said "Bruce".

Wally's jade gaze found Megan who was slightly scared and Superboy was about as passive as ever with the addition of a bit of concern etched into his face. Then the ginger looked back to his best friend. "He's not here," said the West boy; he was trying to keep his voice nice and calm.

"I need-" Robin had to drink in a breath of air as the panic welled up more in his chest. "I need Batman." He had to see his mentor. He had to see his adopted father. He had to be sure that he was still okay. And Alfred... where was Alfred? "I need Batman." His eyes were still wide with pure horror and his nails still dug into his ghostly white skin. "I need Batman."

"Meg." Wally nodded to the girl with the green-tinted skin and the mane of flames who was automatically calling up the Dark Knight with the communicator that she had slid into her ear the moment Robin had asked where his mentor was. Then Wally focused on the issue at hand: the fact that his best friend had been screaming in his sleep. "Rob, I'm right here. You're fine, you know that, right?" He hoped that this was something that would calm Robin down. Wally knew that was what his mom always used to do when he had a nightmare. Of course, his nightmares were about the world running out of cheese, but it was still a nightmare. Flash's nephew was hoping to sound the way that Robin's parents would. That was always a comfort, to have a family member close.

The apprentice of the Dark Knight didn't answer. He kept shivering and shaking, nails still driving into pallid skin and leaving crescent moon-shaped marks. His breathing still hadn't slowed and the panic of not knowing where Bruce was was starting to take a toll on him. Robin just wanted to know where Bruce was. He didn't want to lose Bruce too. He couldn't lose Bruce... He couldn't be alone…

"He's two minutes out," said Megan. The girl turned back to see Robin even paler than he was a moment ago. "I could hear the engine of the Batmobile in the background." The girl pulled the communicator out of her ear and glanced at Superboy who was still just standing there like a statue, doing nothing but blinking and breathing.

Robin swallowed, his eyes shutting tightly behind his tinted glasses. "I need Batman." His voice was now hoarse and clearly pained beyond belief. He needed Bruce. He had to know that Bruce was okay... If he lost Bruce...

"Two minutes," said Kid Flash, wanting to comfort the Boy Wonder but not knowing how. He had gotten slapped away and he didn't want to get hit again. Batman would be there soon enough to take care of the young boy. "Two more minutes, buddy. He'll be here." The ginger glanced to Megan who was still worried out of her pretty little head. Wally knew this was definitely out of the ordinary for the two who had only been alive for a short period of time or had just come to Earth. It was weird for both of them. The speedster hoped they knew this wasn't normal.

Those two minutes were the longest minutes of the West boy's life. He felt like Batman couldn't get there soon enough. And when the caped crusader finally got there, Wally was glad to hand him the reins. But he was shocked to see the first thing that Batman did when he walked to his partner. He grabbed him and pulled him into a hug.

Wally was stunned for a moment. Batman was capable of feelings? He was capable of having emotions? The speedster had to do a quick double take on the situation before looking to Miss Martian and Superboy to be sure that they were seeing this too. But they were already disappearing into the darker caverns of Mount Justice. Wally took a moment, drinking in the scene of the Dark Knight holding his protégé in a tight grip that only a father could give his son. The redhead let this soak in before stepping away and towards the shadowy caverns of the inner sanctum. He had to let Batman handle Robin in only the way that partners could. Wally knew Uncle Barry would do the same for him had it been him instead of Robin. But of course, everyone knew Robin was a tortured little boy. How else would a kid have gotten into being a sidekick when he was eight?

Wally let the two go. And on the television screen where Kid Flash had let his video game run, robots continued to slash his avatar despite the fact that it had been long dead. They were just hashing at old wounds.

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**A/N: Finished it at one in the morning and I couldn't keep going without it sounding awkward and weird. So I just ended it there. I could do a little bit more if you want, it'd be shorter though. Anyways, please review and thanks a bunch for reading!**

**~Skyt **


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